The Kleindienst Group has announced that the soft launch of its first leisure project on the Main Europe island – part of The Heart of Europe within The World islands project – will take place in December. The Portofino Hotel is said to be a five-star, family-only hotel in the region, and is a concept the firm sourced from the European market.

In a statement, the company said concrete was first poured in January 2018 and that the project has progressed to the roof level. Over 1,000 people are working on the site to ensure the property is delivered on time.

The hotel will feature 489 Princess suites including the Villa Adriana on the top floor, which is named after the Roman Emperor that had an influence on architecture across Europe. The company’s Heart of Europe team notes that it is planning to grab a record for the fastest construction-start to soft launch for a project.

“At Kleindienst, we were inspired by the Dubai leadership’s Vision 2020 to broaden the emirates’ offering to attract 20m visitors and make Dubai a world-class leisure and entertainment destination. The Heart of Europe has been carefully designed to serve this vision sustainably and bring the best of Europe to this great city,” said Josef Kleindienst, chairman of the Kleindienst Group.

The group also recently announced the completion of the first Sweden Beach Palace on Sweden Insland within The World islands. The developer says its main goal is to ‘develop Dubai’s first luxury freehold second home market in an idyllic island location in which UAE residents can own a holiday property in their own country’.

“The soft launch of the exceptional Portofino Hotel at the end of this year marks an important and exhilarating stage in the construction of The Heart of Europe. This is our first hotel and it demonstrates how we will cater for each visitor demographic tailoring the hotel and experience to their needs – family-only, 24/7 entertainment or romantic. It will all be curated for guests’ pleasure. At the Portofino Hotel, we look after families who will encounter no distraction from singles, couples or party-goers, offering a safe and luxurious haven for the perfect family holiday,” added Kleindienst.